Editor’s note: This article is by Domenic Poli of the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it was first published July 7, 2015.
BRATTLEBORO — The man arrested for robbing Brattleboro Savings & Loan in November 2014 will spend the next four to 10 years behind bars after changing his plea and accepting a deal offered by the state on July 6.
David Abbott, 69, of Gardner, Mass., pleaded guilty to assault and robbery and to grand larceny in Windham Superior Court: Criminal Division in connection to the heist.
He was sentenced by Judge Katherine Hayes to four to 10 years in prison for each charge, both concurrent.
Abbott’s age and apparent remorse for his actions appeared to have swayed Hayes’ opinion, as she approved the plea bargain after hearing statements from Abbott and two victims from the robbery.
Abbott originally pleaded not guilty to the two felonies in November, when he was ordered held on $250,000 bail. Legal counsel reached a plea bargain.
The manager of Brattleboro Savings & Loan read an emotional statement and asked Hayes to give Abbott the maximum sentence for his crimes. She said she is now apprehensive about customers who ask to speak with the bank’s manager because that is what Abbott did on Nov. 20, 2014, while wearing a security uniform.
According to the police affidavit, Abbott — who identified himself as Rick Johnson — was escorted into the manager’s office because he said he wanted to talk about savings accounts and other banking business.
He then said he was robbing the bank and that he had a gun with him.
On July 6, the manager said Abbott threatened her and her family and she is now often afraid to be in her house. Nov. 20 is also her son’s birthday and she believes that date will be tainted by this traumatic experience.
She said Abbott carried out a premeditated crime and exhibited no morals or human compassion.
A different bank employee said she will never be the same person she was before the day of the robbery.
Abbott was given a chance to make a statement and expressed regret for what he did.
“Today, I want to sincerely apologize to the two women who I frightened in the bank because of my actions that day. I know I changed their sense of well-being forever and for that I am extremely remorseful,” he said. “I did something I shouldn’t have done. My only hope is that some day, down the line, in their hearts, they will be able to forgive me.”
Public Defender Rick Ammons said he did not want to be disrespectful toward the victims, but mentioned Abbott has admitted to the crimes and apologized for them.
He said Abbott was cooperative with police from the start and his prior criminal record is extremely modest. Ammons also mentioned Abbott “feels a certain peace” about entering the plea deal.
Windham County Deputy State’s Attorney David Gartenstein told Hayes the state respects the victims’ desires for a longer prison sentence and acknowledges the trauma they endured, but he feels the terms reached under the plea deal are proportionate to the crimes.
He said Abbott will likely be in prison throughout his 70s.
Hayes appeared to be torn on whether to accept the plea deal. She thanked the women for having the bravery to give their statements and she said their accounts were terrifying.
She mentioned this case is disturbing for any small town, but she feels Abbott is genuinely remorseful. Hayes said she also had to take into account Abbott’s age.
According to the affidavit, Abbott was taken into custody after being pulled over on Canal Street while driving from the scene of the robbery. Police say he then admitted to the crime.
The affidavit states Brattleboro Police Officer Michael Cable responded to Brattleboro Savings & Loan at 12:33 p.m. on a report of a hold-up.
Cable was the first officer to arrive and saw someone in a security uniform leave the bank, walking south on Main Street. Cable attempted to make contact with the man but reported to his dispatchers that the subject was leaving the scene in a black Honda sedan, possibly with Massachusetts license plates.
Cable remained on scene and Lt. Robert Kirkpatrick, who was also responding, continued south on Main Street to try to locate the black Honda sedan.
Kirkpatrick found the vehicle near Hospital Hill and stopped it on Canal Street. He waited for other law enforcement personnel to arrive before ordering the suspect out of the vehicle.
The suspect was taken into custody for investigative detention and brought to the Brattleboro Police Department, where he was identified as Abbott.
The bank manager told police she believed Abbott had a gun and she feared for her life because he said he had been watching her, and an accomplice waiting outside would go to the manager’s house if the cops arrived.
Abbott allegedly forced the manager and her supervisor to open the bank’s vault and place stacks of $100, $50 and $20 bills into a dark-colored duffle bag he had.
He asked the two employees how much money was in the bag, so they counted it and said it was approximately $30,000. Abbott then left the bank, walking south on Main Street, carrying the duffle bag.
Police were summoned after the manager whispered to an employee to activate the hold-up alarm.
At the police department, Abbott told authorities he spent two weeks planning the robbery because he was having financial struggles and needed money to pay bills and prevent his house from being foreclosed. He also said he never actually had a gun on his person.
He said he had planned to place paper license plates on the vehicle he was driving, but never got the chance to do it, and intended to cover the duffle bag in aluminum foil he had stored in the vehicle he was using.
